It is increasingly common to incorporate geolocation services and location-aware applications within mobile devices, particularly “smart-phones,” PDAs, netbooks, and the like. Accordingly, it is not unusual for the user of a mobile device to interact with an external network host or server that requests information regarding the geographical location of the user. In such a case, a “geolocation session” is typically established in which the mobile device exchanges location data with an external server. This geolocation session can last for a significant length of time, may involve the transmission of assistance data and location fixes, and may be based on a specified period, on proximity, or on geo-fencing limits (i.e., presence within a specified geometric area). One popular method of providing location information involves the use of the Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) protocol developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA).
Currently known SUPL protocols and other such geolocation methods are, however, unsatisfactory in a number of respects. For example, in the context of currently known SUPL systems, it is difficult to support generalized handset-to-handset use cases—for example, collaborative location monitoring between smartphones and other mobile devices.
Furthermore, as current SUPL handset-to-handset communication is enabled by a network-side server (a Home SUPL Location Platform, or “H-SLP”), any modifications to the protocol would require that both the mobile devices and the network-side server be modified, which can be costly and time-consuming. Finally, as the H-SLP provides decoding and parsing of incoming messages, privacy issues can arise with respect to messages stored at the H-SLP.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide secure handset-to-handset generic messaging within modern geolocation protocols. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.